1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to animal feeders, and more particularly, to portable livestock feeding methods and devices.
2. Prior Art
Agri-economics has become of critical importance in recent years. This is particularly true of the beef cattle industry, but generally applies to all livestock-oriented endeavors. The rancher, dairyman, or the like is continually faced with rising operating costs, while the prices paid for his products have not kept pace. Additionally, the rancher has been unable to take full advantage of "economics of size."
One of the prime reasons for this situation is the necessity of feeding pre-cut, dried fodder or hay to the livestock. While the requirements for feeding pre-cut feed are dependent upon climate, almost all locations in the U.S. require that cattle and other livestock be fed at least part of the year. In northern states, such as Wyoming and Montana, feeding may be required as much as nine months of the year.
Feeding is a costly and time-consuming operation. The economics of, for example, the beef cattle industry could be greatly improved if the manpower required in performing the feeding task and/or the amount of waste normally associated with feeding could be minimized.
Attempts to minimize the manpower required in performing the feeding task by employing large, stationary feeding "pavilions" have generally not met with success. Many such devices have been introduced, such as large feeding troughs, conveyor devices, and the like. However, in general, these devices have had inherent drawbacks. First, many are mechanically complicated, making the use of such devices for the small rancher almost prohibitive in terms of initial purchase as well as maintenance and upkeep. Second, they require that a large number of cattle be fed in a very confined area which leads to sanitary and disease problems. Third, huge quantities of feed are placed in these devices where the cattle, even when restrained by stanchions, have almost unrestrained access to the loose fodder. Thus the feeding cattle broadcast or spill or otherwise dump a large fraction of the feed on the ground where it is trampled and soiled. The trampled and soiled feed cannot be eaten and is therefore wasted. Thus, most large installations waste a large percentage of the fodder purchased.
In addition to the inherent drawbacks, stationary feeding installations also prevent the rancher from taking advantage of natural pasture grass which, although not sufficient to support a total herd at certain times of the year, is ofttimes of sufficient quantity to substantially supplement the pre-cut feed. Thus, in addition to wasting a great deal of the pre-cut feed, more of the feed has to be fed for a longer period of time, when stationary feeding installations are used.
Portable feeding methods and devices are also known. One of the simplest methods involves merely broadcasting or breaking baled hay on the ground. While this method alleviates some problems associated with stationary feeding installations, such as sanitary and disease problems, the waste is enormous.
Small, portable feeding devices have been constructed over the years, but none to date has been totally effective in eliminating waste while still allowing substantially large volumes of feed to be efficiently fed to the livestock. For example, some portable feeding devices provide elevated racks communicating with troughs such that gravity forces the feed contained in the rack into the trough as the animals feed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 329,029 to Dye. Although the rack provides a means for placing greater amounts of feed in the feeder, the troughs still allow the feeding livestock unrestricted access to the feed.
Other attempts involve the use of stanchions to form an elevated periphery around a feeder box to allow the livestock limited access to the feed contained within the box. While these devices sufficiently restrain the cattle from wasting the feed, the volume of accessible feed is small. The animals only have access to that amount of feed which can be reached by extending the length of their necks through the stanchions and down into the trough. Thus, such portable feeders, while diminishing waste, require frequent and costly refilling.
A more recent portable feeding device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,394 issued to Mahler Apr. 9, 1974. This device incorporates a feeder and a means for wetting the pre-cut feed with a liquid food supplement by dipping restrained feed in a trough of the supplement located below the confined feed. Specifically, this device incorporates a rotatable, volumed chamber, bounded in part by a stationary mesh wall. Loose fodder is placed into the rotatable volume. The volume is then varied by means of hinged, solid partitions which are manually manipulated in angular relationship one to the other. This action simultaneously compacts the feed and urges the feed toward the stationary meshed wall.
While this device allows the cattle limited access to the feed, thus preventing a substantial amount of waste, the volume of feed that can be fed is limited. In addition, the device must be manually manipulated from time to time, to maintain compaction of the feed, thus requiring constant attendance. Additionally, because the solid partitions are hinged about a common axis, confinement of the volume can only be accomplished by rotating the partitions in angular relation, one to the other. Thus, the livestock cannot gain access to a retained residual of feed which remains within the container.
The present invention substantially alleviates the problems associated with heretofore-known portable feeders by allowing livestock continuous, limited access to the outer wall of a large mass of contained, compacted feed until the mass is substantially depleted; while preventing the feeding livestock from obtaining unrestricted access to the feed mass. The method and apparatus of the present invention allows for the substantially waste-free feeding of large quantities of pre-cut feed and preferably baled or compacted feed at virtually any desired location. In addition, the apparatus of the instant invention is economical to maintain, has few moving parts, requires no outside energy source other than the feeding cattle, requires essentially no maintenance, and is virtually indestructible.